The UK in-home food market is predicted to rocket in value by 20% by 2017, with a ‘best-case’ scenario seeing it break through the £100bn barrier that year, according to market research specialist Mintel.

The success of Freedom Food-accredited meat breaking into McDonald’s – following entries into discount retailers Aldi and Lidl – could prove a watershed for high animal welfare meat becoming a mainstream choice in retail and foodservice.

The new Groceries Code Adjudicator, tasked with policing the multiple retailers, has pledged to clean up illegal “kickback” practices, whereby suppliers are forced to use third-party suppliers favoured by the supermarkets, rather than choosing their own.